News Room

CNA gearing up training for new resource development projects

CNA is hosting a third Oil and Gas Stakeholder Forum and Strategy Session at the Sheraton Hotel in St. John’s on Wednesday, February 25, 2009. The theme of the forum is Training for the Future.

The college again brings together senior executives and management personnel from industry and federal and provincial governments. At this forum, CNA will continue to discuss the education and training priorities and strategic directions of these stakeholders. The objective is to enhance and strengthen the college’s program capabilities, facilities and resources to better serve the human resource needs of the oil and gas sector.

“Over the past year, we have been implementing the priority recommendations and strategies that were validated by our industry partners at last year’s oil and gas forum,” says CNA’s Vice-President of Academic and Learner Services Cyril Organ.

“This year we would like feedback from industry on their remaining recommended action items. In addition, we are seeking their views on how our overall strategy might now be affected by recent changes in the economy.”

With funding support from the provincial government, CNA has increased first year industrial trades enrollment by 32 per cent since September 2006. CNA has also increased the annual enrollment in the Petroleum Engineering Technology program by 100 per cent. A new Chemical Process Engineering Technology (CPET) program has been developed and approved, with the first class scheduled to begin in September 2009. These increases in capacity reflect the college’s commitment in response to the high demand for technical professionals and highly skilled workers for the new projects in this province and across the country.

“College program officials and instructors have been working very closely with industry advisory groups to develop and introduce new programs, and to update existing technical training programs in order to maintain their currency and continuously meet national training standards,” says CNA President Jean Madill.

“We are also continuing to work with government concerning the enhancement of both programs and infrastructure. Government continues to provide strong support, which has enabled us to modernize industrial shops, technical laboratories and other resources that will advance the college as a world-class training centre in the decade ahead,” said Madill.

The new three-year Chemical Process Engineering Technology (CPET) program was designed to train process operations personnel for existing and future petroleum industry processing and refining needs. CPET is designed as a co-op program with eight academic semesters and two work-terms for students. The work-terms provide students with an opportunity to gain industrial experience in the oil refining and processing sectors. Students who complete the program will be eligible to write the national Third Class Power Engineering certification examinations administered by the Department of Education.

With the continued expectation of significant new industrial project development in Newfoundland and Labrador, including the Hebron offshore development and the Vale Inco projects, the future looks very bright for high school students who plan to choose a career in the resource development industry. These new projects will have long-term, high paying job opportunities for college graduates from many of CNA’s programs, particularly those in Engineering Technology and Industrial Trades.

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For more information contact:

Tanya AlexanderPublic Information OfficerCollege of the North Atlantic709. 643.7928Tanya.alexander@cna.nl.ca

Or

Stephen LeeMarketing and Communications ManagerCollege of the North Atlantic709.643.7721Stephen.lee@cna.nl.ca